


Vignette--Shower

by wheel_pen



Series: Viridian Mal [22]
Category: Star Trek: Enterprise
Genre: Alternate Universe, Fish out of Water, Gen, Imprinting
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-04-16
Updated: 2013-04-16
Packaged: 2017-12-08 16:28:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 424
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/763533
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wheel_pen/pseuds/wheel_pen
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Trip has a plan to keep Mal from staying in the shower too long.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Vignette--Shower

**Author's Note:**

> 1\. Viridians appear human, but are actually aliens who imprint on other people (Viridian or otherwise) and form a bond with them. They also live their entire life cycle in about six Earth years.
> 
> 2\. In each series, a different character is a Viridian, who was raised by mean Klingons on an outpost. An Enterprise crewmember is captured by the Klingons and they inadvertently form a bond with the Viridian, who helps them escape. Then they return to rescue the Viridian and bring them aboard the Enterprise. The Viridian homeworld is contacted and the Enterprise crew learn the Viridian will most likely die if they are sent away. So they end up staying on the Enterprise, and the crewmember has to adjust.
> 
> 3\. The bad words are censored. That’s just how I do things.
> 
> I hope you enjoy this AU. I own nothing and appreciate the chance to play in this universe.

Trip found that it was very difficult not to think. But he couldn't think. Because if he thought, Mal might notice. And that would defeat the purpose of the thing he wasn't thinking about.

Trip had always been one of those people who enjoyed the anticipation of something almost as much as the payoff, whether it was giving someone a fantastic gift he'd found for them, envisioning a favorite activity he would soon have time for, or (most likely) setting up a practical joke. But he couldn't allow himself to think about this very much. He'd already caught Mal staring at him suspiciously a few times, and Trip had had to quickly switch his thoughts to something extremely technical and dull so Mal would go back to whatever he was doing.

Even now Trip couldn't think about it. Even though it was _so_ close to occurring. _Think about the uniform you're putting on,_ he commanded himself. _Think about your boots. Think about combing your hair. Don't think about—Don't think about—Don't think about_ —

"Aaaaaaaaiiiiiiiiiiigggggggggghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!"

Trip opened the bathroom door. "Mal? You okay in there?"

"Trip, the water's gone cold! It's ice-cold! It's freezing!" Mal complained.

"Gee, that's too bad," Trip remarked evenly. "Well, it was time for you to get out anyway."

"But I'm not done yet—"

D----t, he thought about it.

Mal stuck his head around the glass overlap of the shower stall, narrowed eyes gazing at Trip. " _You_ made the hot water stop," he uttered accusingly, and d—n if Trip didn't see real, genuine anger in his eyes.

Trip refused to get angry back, however. In fact he refused to even get tense. He just crossed his arms over his chest and leaned in the doorway. "Mal, how many times have I told you not to stay in the shower so long, because it uses up the hot water?"

"Thirty-seven," sputtered Mal.

Trip was unprepared to receive an answer to his rhetorical question, but he didn't let it faze him. "Well were you waiting for number thirty-eight before you decided I was serious?" Mal frowned at him, deeply. "You will have _ten minutes_ for a hot shower from now on," Trip continued. "After that, the hot water will be shut off." Mal scrunched his face up even more, ire and petulance mashing together. "This will be better for me, and it will be better for you." Trip straightened up. "Now rinse off, dry off, and get dressed. I'm walkin' out the door in seven minutes, with or without you."


End file.
